Impact (Book 5): Black

by Isherwood, E. E.

  “Thanks!” the big man said, catching it.

  A bullet struck the wooden deck in between Butch’s legs.

  Ezra jerked left before another one found its target.

  Butch rolled sideways with the change in momentum.

  They went another few seconds before he yanked the wheel to the right. Soon after, he didn’t hear or see any bullet impacts.

  His friend finally got his bearings, lined up the borrowed rifle, but didn’t fire. He studied them through the little 4X scope for a short time. “They’re going back to their trucks,” Butch said over the engine’s roar.

  Ezra kept the throttle wide open for another few minutes before finally letting off. The bridge wasn’t quite out of view, but it was miles behind them, well beyond rifle range. The first thing he checked was the fuel gauge. “I hate to be the one to say this, but we have to find a place to stop.”

  “Gas?” Butch asked.

  Haley let herself unwind, careful to release Liam. The puggle didn’t have any appreciation for the larger situation. He came out of his cocoon and immediately pawed at her blowing blonde hair like it was a chew toy. “Down, boy!”

  Ezra was pleased to see her happy. It meant no one had been shot.

  “Haley, can you pass the map over to me? Butch, I need you to look around to see if we’ve been hit in the pontoons. I can’t stop us yet, but I will if we’ve sprung a leak. We can tape it up now and add epoxy later.”

  “Are we sinking?” Haley asked, repeating almost the exact words Butch had once said to him.

  Butch replied instantly. “Naw. The pontoons are like compartments. You can pierce one, but the others compensate for it. We’re fine.” He leaned over the side rails, checking the aluminum floats, but it didn’t get past Ezra how he held on to the rails and seats with crushing strength. For a guy who was terrified of the water, he put on a tremendous show of not being afraid. Haley was having an effect on him.

  Ezra breathed out, remembering he’d been terrified a few minutes ago, too. Being shot at wasn’t a new thing for him, he was sad to admit, but it was never going to become commonplace. Any of those bullets could end his quest to reach Grace. If the shooters had a bit more skill, or his engine were a bit smaller, or if any number of random factors came out a slight bit differently, he wouldn’t be around to appreciate surviving another attack.

  Haley gave him the paper map of Missouri. It was already open to their segment of river, but he had to spread it wider to see what was ahead. They were a little farther than halfway across the state, with three remote bridges between them and the more populated sprawl of Kansas City. Plenty of chances for the TKM goons to catch up to them. Plenty of time to get revenge for killing one of their men.

  “Here. Arrow Rock. It looks big enough to have a filling station. We’ll have to get out and walk into town, but it’s only ten miles upriver. The trucks will have to take the long way around. There’s no direct road because of the way the river bends to the north. We should have time.”

  “Should?” Haley asked, catching the word and the way he’d said it.

  “We have no choice. We either risk getting gas, or we give up the boat.” He wasn’t ready to part ways with Susan’s Grace. It was his last meaningful link back to his wife.

  “E-Z can do it,” Butch said to Haley. “I need to show you how to operate one of these, however.” He held up the black Bushmaster AR-15.

  “Show me,” she replied.

  CHAPTER 6

  Sidney, NE

  “What does Yellowstone have to do with keeping us alive?” Grace asked Misha.

  They chose to walk back to the train shed, giving her and Asher a chance to talk to the man who’d saved their lives. They did not, however, give him a weapon. His Lahti was in the truck, and they’d kept his pistol. She and Asher walked ten paces behind the weary-looking man.

  “The dig site is not in Yellowstone, but is close. It is the rock that almost killed us when you left me to die on gravel roadway.” He held up his hand. “I do not blame you. Very clever of you to use bear spray with fire, by the way. I only point out fact.”

  “Fine. We’ve established an asteroid came down to the south of the park. But why us? Why there?”

  “I told you. I have friends who will come to our side when I explain what their boss did to my family. The more friends you have, easier it is to fight back. Petteri was very upset you killed his beloved assistant, Howard. I think he will send many more assassins after you if Nerio fails. You must be ready. You must have base of defense, not this…” He glanced at the train. “This broken-down machine.”

  “For the record, we didn’t kill Howard. Some woman did it. Her name was Dorothy, I think. She arrived with Petteri, but didn’t seem to like the other man. When the shooting started, Howard wrestled me to the ground; I thought I was dead. When Dorothy shot him, I was happy about it.”

  Misha studied her over his shoulder while walking toward the first coal car in the line. “He was betrayed by one of his own? You must tell me whole story sometime. I would also like to meet this woman, if she is not already dead. Petteri has eyes everywhere. Even out here.”

  Grace didn’t let herself get absorbed in his conspiracies. “All I need to know is whether you’re going to betray us. I know you saved us and all, but it isn’t easy to forget our earlier meetings.”

  “I know,” the Russian replied, before dropping into silence for several minutes.

  The train engines on the farthest track remained where they were. The engineers now stood next to their machines, but seemed uninterested in getting any closer to her and the action. She waved to them, getting a smattering of waves back.

  A few minutes later, after walking along the strings of coal hoppers, they reached the flatbed. The others were shocked to learn Misha’s identity and background, but they seemed satisfied by her acceptance of him. Instead of prodding for explanations about his past with TKM, they asked about his plan for taking them to the Yellowstone dig site.

  Shawn rose to the call right away. “It isn’t enough to lay claim to the rock which fell on Crow lands. We need to tell the owners of the properties beneath all the asteroid pieces. It belongs to them.” He smiled mischievously.

  Grace knew why. “You want to stick it to Petteri, don’t you?”

  He gestured to his injured leg. “His company tried to steal what belongs to our nation. Then he tried to snuff out me and my boy. The only break I’ll give that guy is when I snap his spine in two. Stick it to him? You better believe it.”

  In a weird way, it mirrored what Misha had said. Going there would help stick it to Mr. Tikkanen and it would help her and Asher find protection with Misha and his friends. On the flip side, the place would be crawling with TKM security. What if Misha failed to sway those people? Then they’d all be walking into a trap.

  Misha brightened. “If it helps, I know who owns land.”

  “Really?” Asher said dryly. “That’s incredible. And damned convenient.”

  The Russian man smiled, revealing his one missing tooth. “You misunderstand my English. I do not know the exact name, but I have seen the files. TKM absolutely knows who owns land at fallen fragments. They need the information so they can pay for rights to collect the ore and take it back to their properties.”

  Shawn harrumphed in the affirmative. TKM had indeed tried to buy him off.

  Grace had to take a stab at staying on her mission. “My dad is to the east, though…” She hated sounding like an injured bird, but all of her plans had been centered around reaching Dad and his boat. If she turned around and headed back west, it would make his journey even longer. Still, if he knew all the facts, her father might counsel her to stick with a strong group rather than venturing out alone, or with Asher by himself. And, she reasoned, she already knew the area around Yellowstone Park.

  Misha seemed to take the lead on talking reason, which confused her. He focused on Grace again. “You said kind words about my family. Let me prove to you
r father I can make right after what I did. I protect you with my team. I keep you safe from Nerio and her husband. I keep you all protected from chaos happening in many cities and states of your America. But I cannot do it alone. I have to take you to dig site up north.”

  Robert the engineer walked up mid-conversation. He handed Grace a backpack that had been slightly burned in several places. “This was blown clear of the wreckage.”

  “Is mine,” Misha declared.

  Robert acknowledged him but kept talking. “You want to go up north?”

  They all looked to him. Misha appeared as if he was about to reply, but he deferred to Grace. She then spoke to Robert. “I wanted to go east, but now we’re talking about traveling to the west and north. Toward Yellowstone. It’s where this man has friends; men with lots of guns. Guys who can fight off that helicopter if it comes back.”

  The man wiped his hands down the sides of his greasy overalls as if it was a nervous habit. “You’ll be happy to know most of my people in the boxcar have gotten rides with the workers here at the rail shed. Their homes are back in Denver. As for me and my crew…”

  She braced for disappointment.

  Robert cracked a smile. “Would it surprise you to learn this engine has been contracted by TKM to haul a load of these repaired coal hoppers to Kansas City?”

  Her heart fluttered, then sank. He was supposed to go east, toward her father. It was the way she desperately wanted to go, but it was suddenly not the way she needed to go.

  The engineer continued. “But I don’t think we’d make it if the helicopter came back. Not alone.” He gave Misha a serious look. “Can you get your friends to come here? We could all ride the train to the east. I have an entire boxcar ready for passengers. I’d love to have the protection.”

  Misha immediately shook his head. “They are willing to help me, but there are, um, certain financial incentives to stay where they are.”

  Grace chuckled. “They’re in it for the money.”

  Diedre raised her good hand before speaking. “I vote we go to wherever we can find the biggest number of friendly soldiers. I’ve been inside Petteri’s hive for the past week. I’ve been on his island. In his flight center. In his Denver office. His company is consumed with digging up all the ore they dropped to Earth. They have a huge army of men willing to help. I can say from all my dealings with the man if he means to get something, he will. If he means to hurt someone, he most definitely will.”

  “Is what I said,” Misha interrupted.

  Asher’s sister continued. “If this guy can protect us, let him try. I’d like to steal some of Petteri’s money, too.”

  Laughter all around.

  Grace still wasn’t happy about the change in plans but saw the general merits. She rifled through Misha’s pack to ensure there were no weapons inside. It held a few grain bars, a couple of handheld radios, and other junk probably meant for camping.

  Shawn grunted as he shifted weight off his bad leg. “I can call my people and see what we can do to help. The more, the merrier, right?”

  “Yes,” Misha agreed. “Get whatever help you need. I like the way you think. Be warned, Nerio will be back again. She has no end to weapons provided by TKM. Even if you do not let me come along, please take the Lahti.” The big gun had been placed on Robert’s truck, which was parked over by the train shed. The workers stood around it admiring the giant weapon.

  Robert seemed pumped. “I’ll get the engine ready. It took some bullets, but she’s built to withstand anything. It won’t take me long.”

  Misha followed up the statement. “If you can, tell TKM you are heading east. It will throw Nerio off scent for a time.” He hesitated, slowly turning to Grace. “That is, if you are going with us?”

  She and Asher exchanged a look before she made her decision. Grace tossed the backpack over to Misha. “Fine. It’s obviously as bad as you say. If we have to go to Yellowstone to make a stand, I’m all for it. I just have to change my voicemail message.”

  Misha looked at her as if she’d gone nuts, but she was happy to let him think it. She couldn’t trust him, and she wanted him to be unsure about her motives, too. As such, she pulled out her phone and walked away, careful not to let him overhear her important discussion.

  Someone had left a message. She checked the network and found it wasn’t connected at that moment, but the voice message had downloaded to her phone, suggesting it had temporarily linked up at some point recently, as Asher had predicted.

  Unsurprisingly, it was Dad. “Hi, Grace. Me and Butch are on the river, moving closer to you…” He went on to assure her he’d gotten her message about not going to Denver, and he added one of his claps, which warmed her heart.

  She pressed the button to re-record her greeting for him. “Hi, Dad. I’m changing my voicemail message again. My last one said I was heading east. You won’t believe it, but lots has changed for me. Now I’m heading back toward Yellowstone. I’m going to the dig site south of the park. I’ll change my message again when I know exactly where it is. I love you. Please leave your message, and one of these.” She clapped as close to the mic as she could get.

  She hung up smiling. Simply thinking about her father did wonders for her morale. And if they were going back toward danger, she needed all the positive vibes she could summon.

  Arrow Rock, MO

  “Well, this doesn’t look good.” Ezra and Butch came up the steep bank of the Missouri River and found themselves at the edge of what looked like a tasteful country subdivision, rather than a town. The roads weren’t much larger than a single lane, and the small brick houses were dominated by huge oak trees and sprawling grass yards. A two-lane highway was partially hidden by trees about a half mile away, but there didn’t seem to be anything except houses between him and the other end of Arrow Rock.

  Haley came up a few moments later, Liam yanking on his leash ahead of her. She also insisted on bringing Victoria in her crate, though she didn’t let it slow her down.

  Butch hung back, not helping her, but appearing ready if she asked. When she walked by, the young man took note of the cat carrier. “Would your kitty survive in a backpack? Would be a lot easier to carry around.”

  She seemed to consider. “At this point, I don’t think she’d survive in anything. All the noise and shooting has her terrified.” Haley brought the cage up, so she and Butch could look inside. “See? She’s even afraid of me right now.”

  The big guy chuckled. “Maybe it’s me?”

  “Naw,” she said, lowering the crate again. “My sweet baby has been like this since I took her from Xander’s place. It isn’t healthy for her to have so much stress.”

  Ezra crouched to pet the puggle, who’d taken a seat after the long walk up the hillside from the river. “It’s not healthy for any of us, but we came up here for an important reason.” He glanced down the narrow asphalt lane. “Maybe there’s a gas station at the other end of the street. We should find out.”

  “Why don’t we ask someone?” Haley said, walking out onto the shady lane.

  “Sounds good,” he replied, motioning Butch to go first.

  They walked for a short time before seeing several people out in their yards. He and Butch waved to a man sitting on his back porch, though Haley kept going forward. He was about to ask if she’d missed him, but soon figured out her intentions.

  The young woman power-walked toward the fenced yard of a house a little farther up the street. A woman threw a bright yellow tennis ball for her black Labrador retriever. As soon as Liam caught sight of a friend, he barked with anticipation. The other dog stopped in place, dropped the ball, then barked in return.

  “Now I get it,” he said jokingly to Butch.

  Haley heeled Liam about twenty feet from the low chain-link fence before speaking to the other woman. “Hello! We’re on a boat down on the river. We need a gas station so we can fill up.”

  Ezra held up the red five-gallon container.

  The woman was probab
ly in her fifties, with straight blonde hair with several streaks of gray. She was dressed in sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt, as if she hadn’t been expecting visitors. “We don’t get many people come up from the river here in Arrow Rock. Tourists usually come here in cars. ’Course, we haven’t got many visitors since the TV went off last week.”

  Haley struggled to control her dog. “But does the town have gas?”

  The Arrow Rock resident came over to the fence, moving at country speed. Ezra was well familiar with that mode of travel. It was for those times when you wanted to pull up a stump and chat with a neighbor. It didn’t matter how long it took, or what you talked about. It was simply a way to pass the day. “I’m sorry, we don’t. If you’re on the water, you might go up to Glasgow and hit Stallman’s. You could also go downriver to Boonville. Lots of stations there.”

  Ezra spoke up. “I’m afraid we can’t go up or down. We’re running on fumes. We need at least five gallons to get us to Glasgow. More if we can find it.”

  “I’m not sure…” she started to say.

  “We’re being chased by assholes with guns,” Haley said dramatically. “We expect they’ll come through here looking for us in the next thirty minutes or so. That’s why we’re in such a hurry.”

  “Oh, you poor dear. Why didn’t you say? How could I refuse helping such needy people? And your puggle is just so darned cute.” She waved them to the gate, which was near the back of her small but tidy brick home. “Can your dog meet my boy? He’d love some company while I help you out.”

  Haley exuded excitement, which seemed to make Liam bounce on his tiny legs. “Oh yes, he needs some puppy time. Thank you so much!”

  Once inside the gate, Haley unclipped his leash and he took off after the black lab, which had also gone crazy with excitement. Some dogs became aggressive when interacting with others—he’d seen it back at the lake—but Liam didn’t seem to have a mean bone in him. The lab had a similar temperament.

  While the dogs circled each other in the yard, the woman pointed to the crate. “Whatchya got in there?”